Chapter 130: Preparation
Muyoung stood up, nonchalantly brushing off his hips. Everyone seemed at a loss for words, unable to bridge the gap between the man who had just had a seizure and the one now smiling slyly.
“You don’t need to call 119.”
“Huh?”
Not until he took the phone from the employee’s hand and canceled the call.
“No, really.”
Kang Ok-kyung swept her hair back and let out a relieved sigh.
“Goodness—”
“Were you surprised?”
“Is that even a question?”
“If I had more time, I could’ve shown you in a better way, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.”
Muyoung’s innocent smile turned to Team Leader Park.
He unfastened his damp tie and let out an exasperated chuckle. He’d been had. Completely had!
‘Damn it.’
He knew it was acting.
He knew, but he fell for it anyway, thinking, Maybe…?
Team Leader Park returned to his seat, awkwardly scratching his head.
There was no denying that Muyoung’s acting had that ‘maybe’ effect.
‘A rookie like that? Frustrating.’
“Shall we continue, then?”
Muyoung asked, wiping his lips with a wet tissue.
His acting skills had been demonstrated, so now it was time to discuss the character in earnest.
But the staff, overwhelmed by the situation, were exhausted.
“More?”
They clearly wanted to end it there. Except for Kang Ok-kyung, everyone was intimidated by his presence.
They waved their hands, eager to move on to the next person.
“Yes, I’ve just begun. I can show you more. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I’m confident I can deliver—”
Muyoung pleaded earnestly, his hands clasped lightly.
“Please, give me a chance.”
“Hahaha. Well, well.”
There was something endearing about him.
He had a peculiar charm, brimming with the freshness of a 21-year-old. Kang Ok-kyung and her colleagues exchanged soft glances.
‘How about it? He’s the one I brought in.’
‘Yeah, sure. You’re amazing.’
She confidently tilted her chin up, while her colleagues clutched their still-racing hearts.
His acting skills were unquestionably a pass.
His boldness and wit were a pass.
And his looks? Well, no need to say—a pass!
“Understood. Mr. Ha Muyoung, we’ll wrap up the audition today and contact you later.”
“Huh? I still have a lot to show.”
“We’ll see that later, then.”
His desperation was also a pass.
The subtle hint that he would make it to the second round. Muyoung barely contained his brightening smile and bowed deeply.
“Thank you! Thank you!”
“Uh, wait a moment, Mr. Muyoung.”
Muyoung bowed repeatedly in all directions.
Team Leader Park called out to him. What was he up to now? In front of his colleagues, he held up his tie.
“What are you going to do about this?”
It’s covered in your saliva.
Muyoung scratched his head, looking embarrassed, and apologized.
“Sorry, I’ll compensate you. I, uh, drooled too much. Hehe.”
“Whatever.”
He bluntly unfastened his tie and waved it at Muyoung.
“Sign this or something.”
“Huh? Sign it?”
Wow. Unbelievable.
Everyone gaped at Team Leader Park’s unexpected words. How clever. What did a tie cost? He wasn’t going to ask for compensation.
‘Wow. If Ha Muyoung gets cast…’
And if the project became a hit, and Ha Muyoung’s fame soared? This moment would surely become an amusing anecdote in his acting career.
“A pen…”
“Here’s a marker.”
And that tie would become a symbol of the story.
It would be a priceless item for Muyoung’s fans.
Who knows? A tie that cost a hundred thousand won might one day fetch a hundred times that.
Swoosh—
Muyoung signed it meticulously, then held it up.
“Shall I fix your tie?”
“No need.”
If you want, I’ll tie it into a pretty bow for you. I don’t know how to tie it properly, though.
As if reading his mind, the team leader took the tie from his hand.
“Alright, I’m really leaving now. See you later. Thanks so much today.”
And with that, he bowed once more!
He even attempted a clumsy wink at Kang Ok-kyung, signaling, ‘See you later, Team Leader!’ Kang Ok-kyung and her staff couldn’t hold back their laughter.
Slam!
As the door closed, they burst into tears, shaking their heads.
“What kind of character is that?”
“Right? He’s something else.”
“Why did Team Leader Park ask for his autograph?”
“Because he’s annoying! I’m going to sell this and buy a new tie! Why do you ask?”
He didn’t know about anything else, but he could recognize potential. If he couldn’t deal with someone, he figured he might as well scavenge for crumbs.
It was a tip from two decades of office life.
“So, Ha Muyoung’s moving on to the second round, right?”
Kang Ok-kyung’s question was met with silence from the other team members.
But silence meant agreement. They had already promised him a second audition, so there was no going back.
“Next participant, please come in.”
“Yes, just a moment.”
Team Leader Park tried to change the subject, urging the staff to move on.
Kang Ok-kyung, watching him intently, smiled faintly. What a transparent person. So easy to read.
‘At this rate, I’ll have to push the actor I brought in even harder!’
Anticipating the heated second round, they fueled the fire. Only Kang Ok-kyung and her team sipped their coffee leisurely.
Click—
“How did it go? Everything okay?”
“Yes, the atmosphere was good, and I think I’ll make it to the second round.”
“Wow! You’re amazing!”
Ko Gyeongmin, preparing to leave, turned back and exclaimed.
It was Muyoung, just as he’d expected. His expression had been good from the start! He stepped on the accelerator, speeding out of the building.
Vroom—
“Where to? Home?”
With the filming of Street Sunlight finished, Muyoung had some free time. He checked his phone and shook his head.
“No, take me to Sanggu-dong.”
“Sanggu-dong? Why there?”
“Enbin asked me to come.”
“Ah, for the concert, huh? Are you going to wait for a pickup?”
“No, you can head back, Manager. I’ll just ask Enbin to take me.”
“Got it.”
“Oh, and Manager… about the action school.”
“Action school? Why?”
“I heard this project has a lot of action scenes, so I thought I should prepare in advance. Didn’t Taeseok go there?”
Seeing his determination, Ko Gyeongmin answered, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror.
“He did. How about it? Are you going to prepare?”
“I think I’ll need to use my body more in the second round.”
“Why? Did they say so?”
“No, just a hunch. A hunch.”
If he made it past the first round, the second would be intense.
Considering the physical requirements, there would likely be camera tests and action assessments. Kang Ok-kyung would fill in the details.
“Yeah, your hunch is usually right, Muyoung.”
With everything falling into place, Ko Gyeongmin hummed a tune. The car sped toward SN Entertainment’s headquarters.
“Hey, freeloader.”
Since it was his first time there, Muyoung hesitated as he entered, but Enbin was waiting for him in the lobby. Muyoung waved cheerfully.
“Hey, part-time freeloader!”
“Why are you so late?”
“Late? I finished early.”
“How was the audition?”
“Don’t even ask.”
“Whoa, you’re full of confidence?”
Enbin laughed and led him downstairs.
The peculiar structure had large practice rooms lined up side by side.
It made sense now why people joked about locking kids in the basement.
Creak.
“Ha Muyoung’s here.”
“Hello.”
“Hi, welcome.”
The dancers were already practicing inside. As the two entered, everyone plopped down on the floor, taking a break.
They were drenched in sweat, having practiced for hours.
“Oh, and this. Have some while you work.”
Muyoung rummaged through his bag and pulled out some drinks.
The bottles, chilled with ice, were gladly accepted by everyone.
“Wow, thanks.”
“Why did you bring this? We have plenty here.”
“Uh? Still… I couldn’t come empty-handed.”
Muyoung smiled and placed his bag in the corner.
Since it was a fan meeting and concert, his appearance was a bit complicated. He wasn’t singing—just a simple dance would do…
It was a reluctant approval from Enbin.
“What’s the song?”
“The title track from the third album. You’ve heard it, right?”
“But can Ha Muyoung actually dance?”
“Manager, didn’t you see him dance at the fan meeting? When the singing part was cut, his dancing was decent.”
He wanted to retort, but it was true, so he couldn’t.
Muyoung simply smiled and poured Enbin a drink. Like, Drink this and shut up already.
“Let’s practice, then eat. Our cafeteria is amazing.”
“Okay.”
“Manager, play the song! Let’s go again!”
Enbin took a sip and jumped up.
A familiar song played, and everyone moved in perfect sync!
‘Wow, amazing.’
As expected of a top idol. Their flexibility was incredible.
The b-boy moves in the middle were stunning.
“One, two, three! Manager, it’s three here!”
“Ah, right. Sorry.”
“Again. One, two, three!”
Muyoung watched their practice from the corner.
As the song was about to end, the sweaty Enbin gestured to him.
“Muyoung, enter from the left.”
“Huh? Okay.”
“You’ll need to come in quickly, matching the beat. Snap, snap, snap! Enter, spin together, and face forward. The camera will catch both our faces in a full shot.”
“Got it.”
The dance was easier than he thought.
Timing was key, though.
Muyoung practiced the timing a few times, getting a feel for it. Then, his phone in the corner lit up.
Ding.
[Mr. Ha Muyoung, did you get in okay? I couldn’t say goodbye properly because of the remaining auditions. You did well today. I guess I have an eye for talent. The second audition will be within two weeks, and I’ll share the details later. If you can prepare any action scenes, please do. There will also be a camera test.]
Hmm. Of course. His audition skills hadn’t faded.
Just as he’d expected, Muyoung nodded repeatedly. He’d hoped to rest after Street Sunlight, but no such luck! He’d have to start action school tomorrow.
“What is it?”
Enbin wiped his sweat and asked Muyoung.
He showed him the text.
“They want action prep for the second round.”
“Action? Can you do that?”
“Nope.”
What to do with him, Enbin’s expression said it all.
A dancer sipping a drink laughed.
“Just spin in the air or something.”
“A spinning top? You need to kick, man.”
“Like this?”
The dancer leaped, spun in the air, and naturally extended his leg. Being b-boys, their physicality was insane.
“Your body’s a bit stiff.”
“Hey, you try it.”
“Back in the day, I could spin three times.”
“Sure you did.”
Even during breaks, the dancers kept moving, flipping and spinning like they were wired.
Muyoung’s eyes sparkled as he jumped up.
“Me too!”
“…Huh?”
“Teach me that!”
“This? You’ve got two weeks.”
“I’ll make it work.”
If there’s a will, there’s a way.
Muyoung pleaded earnestly, more passionately than during dance practice. Action alone wasn’t enough to stand out. He needed something like that.
“Please! Help me make it happen!”
“Uh, Enbin?”
“When he gets that look, there’s no stopping him.”
The dancer looked to Enbin for help, but he was just as helpless. Since he’d be coming often for concert practice, it wouldn’t hurt to help out.
Creak.
“Manager?”
Just then, the practice room door opened, and a familiar man walked in.
It was Unta. Muyoung had met him when he played a minor thug role in Come to the Cafe. The two recognized each other and exchanged light greetings.
“Oh, Muyoung’s here.”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“The director wants to see you for a moment.”
“Okay, got it. But why are you calling Muyoung ‘Manager’? You’re the same age.”
Enbin said that and left the practice room.
Same age? Unta looked back and forth between Enbin and Muyoung, confused. Enbin said they were friends, so shouldn’t Muyoung be his peer too?
“Haha…”
Muyoung laughed awkwardly and waved.
“Hi, Unta.”
“Who are you?”
“Well, I’m… someone who’s the same age as Unta, but became friends with Enbin.”
A family tree disruptor.
Unta stared at him, baffled, and Muyoung added the final blow.
“But my birthday comes after Unta’s.”